01 March 2012

Kate and Mary Romero live in the modern world but thanks to their strict upbringing, they have barely been part of it. Their father was the minister of a conservative congregation and sheltered his girls from the evils of the outside world (including the Internet, cell phones, and the mall). Their mother was more understanding and had ambitions for her daughters, but she has been in a persistent vegetative state for a couple of years as the result of a car accident. When their father unexpectedly dies (in the first chapter), the teenagers are left on their own to finish high school, take care of their mother, and decide on their futures.

Although Irises, by Francisco X Stork, is targeted to a teen audience, the novel talks about issues that will resonate with adults. The overriding themes are faith in God, the nature of responsibility, death and dying, ambition, and parenting, and Stork interweaves them to make for a thought-provoking and complex story.

The novel follows the girls, especially Kate, as they transition through their grief to facing the realities of their new situation as virtual orphans and as living in the modern world. Of course, the girls are forced to make an overwhelming number of decisions, and as they weigh their choices, you'll be asking yourself many of the same questions: Should Kate give up her dreams and her college scholarship to stay in El Paso and take care of her sister and mother? Is it okay that Mary accepts this lot as her fate and cannot see any other path? Is it ever right to stop life support for a loved one who will never get better? Is it giving up or an act of love to let someone die? What kind of parent isolates his children from the world they live in: a caring parent or a controlling one? How do we prioritize our obligations to our faith, our family, and ourselves?

These questions do not have easy answers, and Kate and Mary struggle to find solutions, seeking help from friends, their aunt, the church, and social welfare programs. The text drags at times and the ending seemed obvious (the only logical solution?), but Irises will make you think and will open the door to many conversations. Thus the novel is a great choice for book clubs. Note that Irises is not about preaching a particular moral viewpoint; although faith in a Christian God is part of the book, it is not the focus.

I listened to the unabridged audiobook (Listening Library, 7 hr, 28 min) read by Carrington MacDuffie. My audio review will be available on the AudioFile magazine website. This review will be linked to Kid Konnection, hosted each Saturday by Julie from Booking Mama.

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comments:

I often wonder about the lot of children whose parents think they are protecting them from the modern world by sheltering them from it (for example, not allowing kids to ever watch TV). How will they negotiate with technology once they get the chance? This sounds like a very interesting book!

I am quite curious about this book, and aim to read it soon to see what I make of it. I think I can guess what happens in the end, but if the journey there is thought provoking and is emotionally resonant, I will be a happy reader. Awesome review today!

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I'm a freelance book editor, reviewer, and journalist blogging as Beth Fish. On these pages, you'll find book reviews, book features, and other bookish content. I like to spotlight my favorite imprints and I'm a long-time audiobook lover. (I was the Audio Publishers Association's 2016 Audiobook Blogger of the Year!) Each Saturday I host my popular Weekend Cooking feature. Don't forget to look for my weekly photograph. You can find me on social media as @BethFishReads. Publicists, publishers, authors: please see my review policy. NB: I did not work on any book mentioned on this site.

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